Fairchild's Classic Games Experience Unforgettable, Plans November Visit to Taiwan with Mother and to Learn Chinese
Baseball player Stuart Fairchild, who represented Taiwan in the WBC, plans to visit Taiwan in November with his mother to learn Chinese, inspired by his unforgettable experience and the passion of Taiwanese fans.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 20, 2026 at 20:01
- 🔍 Collected: April 20, 2026 at 20:32 (30 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 20:35 (3 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Taipei, April 20, via foreign wire) Taiwanese-American player "Fei Zai" Stuart Fairchild, who represented Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), fully experienced the passion of Taiwanese fans and their acceptance during the tournament. He plans to return to Taiwan in November with his mother and learn Chinese during the off-season.
According to MLB.com, Fairchild's biggest surprise after participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic was not his on-field performance, but rather the audience from the sidelines.
He currently plays for the Cleveland Guardians' Triple-A team and stated in an interview, "For every game I played in the US this year, whether in spring training or Triple-A, at least one Taiwanese fan came to the stadium to cheer me on. Some fans in Arizona told me they drove 8 hours from San Diego just to watch me play."
"This is the dedication and passion of Taiwanese people for baseball, which I didn't know before participating in the Classic Games."
Fairchild said he was quite worried when he joined the team in Taiwan before the WBC, as most Taiwanese team members had been training for weeks, and he didn't speak a word of Chinese, making him nervous about how he would be accepted.
But his worries disappeared as soon as he joined the team. "They brought me in and immediately made me feel like family."
In the 2023 WBC, Fairchild had the opportunity to play for Taiwan, but he was focused on making the Cincinnati Reds' opening day roster and declined the offer. However, he knew that his baseball career would not be complete without participating in a top-tier international competition.
When Taiwan invited him again before the 2026 WBC, he agreed almost without hesitation. In this WBC, Fairchild hit two home runs in four preliminary games: a grand slam against the Czech Republic and a two-run homer against South Korea.
The motivation to join the Taiwan team, besides his aspiration for international competition, also came from the opportunity to better understand his mother Mimi's background. Mimi immigrated to the US from Taiwan at age 12, and as she adapted to American life, her Taiwanese heritage gradually faded. Because of this, Taiwanese culture did not play a significant role in Fairchild's upbringing. Participating in the WBC not only allowed him to get close to his mother's homeland for the first time but also enabled his mother to reconnect with her roots.
The camaraderie he quickly established with his Taiwanese teammates was a surprise; equally surprising was how quickly he realized how passionate Taiwanese fans are about baseball.
Before the WBC, Taiwan played warm-up games against the Japanese professional baseball second team in Miyazaki. Even though the venue was a small training field, the stands were packed with enthusiastic Taiwanese fans. By the time they reached the group stage at the Tokyo Dome, the cheers were deafening. Fairchild said that the atmosphere created by Taiwanese fans made them feel like they had home-field advantage even when playing against the host Japanese team.
In the game against South Korea, when Taiwan was still trailing 2-3 in the top of the 8th inning with only four outs left before elimination, Fairchild hit a two-run home run to right field, reversing the situation. The entire stadium erupted in thunderous applause. Fairchild said, "I've never heard a sound like that before." Taiwan defeated South Korea 5-4 in that game.
Fairchild's Instagram account had fewer than 50,000 followers before the WBC, but due to his outstanding performance and numerous fan interactions, his follower count surged to over 330,000 within days of his return to the US. A limited edition EasyCard designed with photos of Fairchild from the WBC was in high demand in Taiwan, requiring a week-long pre-order period.
Fairchild hopes to see these cards for the first time when he returns to Taiwan in November. This trip is currently being planned. He hopes his mother can accompany him, allowing her to visit relatives in Taiwan for the first time since moving to the US. Fairchild found his experience representing Taiwan unforgettable and has already planned to learn Chinese during the off-season.
Fairchild started the season with the Guardians' minor league Triple-A team. He has played 18 games so far, with a batting average of .333, 3 home runs, 8 RBIs, and an OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) of 1.024, continuing to strive for a return to Major League Baseball. (Compiled by: Xu Chong-zhe) 1150420.
(Central News Agency, Taipei, April 20, via foreign wire) Taiwanese-American player "Fei Zai" Stuart Fairchild, who represented Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), fully experienced the passion of Taiwanese fans and their acceptance during the tournament. He plans to return to Taiwan in November with his mother and learn Chinese during the off-season.
According to MLB.com, Fairchild's biggest surprise after participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic was not his on-field performance, but rather the audience from the sidelines.
He currently plays for the Cleveland Guardians' Triple-A team and stated in an interview, "For every game I played in the US this year, whether in spring training or Triple-A, at least one Taiwanese fan came to the stadium to cheer me on. Some fans in Arizona told me they drove 8 hours from San Diego just to watch me play."
"This is the dedication and passion of Taiwanese people for baseball, which I didn't know before participating in the Classic Games."
Fairchild said he was quite worried when he joined the team in Taiwan before the WBC, as most Taiwanese team members had been training for weeks, and he didn't speak a word of Chinese, making him nervous about how he would be accepted.
But his worries disappeared as soon as he joined the team. "They brought me in and immediately made me feel like family."
In the 2023 WBC, Fairchild had the opportunity to play for Taiwan, but he was focused on making the Cincinnati Reds' opening day roster and declined the offer. However, he knew that his baseball career would not be complete without participating in a top-tier international competition.
When Taiwan invited him again before the 2026 WBC, he agreed almost without hesitation. In this WBC, Fairchild hit two home runs in four preliminary games: a grand slam against the Czech Republic and a two-run homer against South Korea.
The motivation to join the Taiwan team, besides his aspiration for international competition, also came from the opportunity to better understand his mother Mimi's background. Mimi immigrated to the US from Taiwan at age 12, and as she adapted to American life, her Taiwanese heritage gradually faded. Because of this, Taiwanese culture did not play a significant role in Fairchild's upbringing. Participating in the WBC not only allowed him to get close to his mother's homeland for the first time but also enabled his mother to reconnect with her roots.
The camaraderie he quickly established with his Taiwanese teammates was a surprise; equally surprising was how quickly he realized how passionate Taiwanese fans are about baseball.
Before the WBC, Taiwan played warm-up games against the Japanese professional baseball second team in Miyazaki. Even though the venue was a small training field, the stands were packed with enthusiastic Taiwanese fans. By the time they reached the group stage at the Tokyo Dome, the cheers were deafening. Fairchild said that the atmosphere created by Taiwanese fans made them feel like they had home-field advantage even when playing against the host Japanese team.
In the game against South Korea, when Taiwan was still trailing 2-3 in the top of the 8th inning with only four outs left before elimination, Fairchild hit a two-run home run to right field, reversing the situation. The entire stadium erupted in thunderous applause. Fairchild said, "I've never heard a sound like that before." Taiwan defeated South Korea 5-4 in that game.
Fairchild's Instagram account had fewer than 50,000 followers before the WBC, but due to his outstanding performance and numerous fan interactions, his follower count surged to over 330,000 within days of his return to the US. A limited edition EasyCard designed with photos of Fairchild from the WBC was in high demand in Taiwan, requiring a week-long pre-order period.
Fairchild hopes to see these cards for the first time when he returns to Taiwan in November. This trip is currently being planned. He hopes his mother can accompany him, allowing her to visit relatives in Taiwan for the first time since moving to the US. Fairchild found his experience representing Taiwan unforgettable and has already planned to learn Chinese during the off-season.
Fairchild started the season with the Guardians' minor league Triple-A team. He has played 18 games so far, with a batting average of .333, 3 home runs, 8 RBIs, and an OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) of 1.024, continuing to strive for a return to Major League Baseball. (Compiled by: Xu Chong-zhe) 1150420.